Musky

A man holding a 41 inch Male French River Spring Muskie with post spawn marks on its body.

In the Thick of It: Navigating Weedy Waters for Muskies

Imagine standing at the water’s edge, surrounded by lush green weeds that sway gently in the breeze. The air is crisp, and the sun casts dappled shadows on the surface. You know that beneath those thick mats of vegetation lies a hidden predator — the elusive muskellunge. As you launch your boat, the scent of …

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Muskie strike leaving teeth marks on French River Northern Pike.

French River Muskie Legend That Got Away (For Now)

Hi Brenda and Bears Den Team, Just wanted to extend a sincere thanks for an incredible and memorable trip to the French River. The highlight of course was the tale of the legend that got away (for now). While reeling in a hammer handle sized pike a giant musky shot up from the depths and …

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How to Gender Muskie & Pike

Have you ever wondered if the last Muskie or Pike you caught was male or female?  It’s a common question that everyone has when you’re learning about trophy freshwater fishing. Gendering a Muskie or Pike is quite simple, have them fill out a form! Sexual differences between Female & Male Muskies Jokes aside, the simplest …

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How To Properly Hold & Release Fish

Canada has held a long tradition of conservation. It first started with First Nations (Native Americans). Next, was the movement of university-trained foresters and industry leaders near the end of the 19th century. The work of “Canada’s first celebrity conservationist”, Jack Miner, led to the Canada-US Convention Protecting Migratory Birds. This paved the way for future conservationists …

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Pike vs Pickerel: Differences You Should Know

What’s the difference between Pike and Pickerel? A seemingly simple question but one that can have confusing answers depending on where you are.    I grew up in a fishing camp in Northeastern Ontario, Canada and had great opportunities to meet many individuals from all across the US, Canada, UK, Australia and many other countries. …

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Muskie vs Northern Pike: Know the Differences

Muskie and Northern Pike are North America’s two favourite trophy game fish. Both swim silently through the turbid waters of the French River, Ontario. Before exploding into action, striking unsuspecting prey from cover. At a glance, these two slender and toothy apex freshwater predators can be easily mistaken for the other.       Just like walleye …

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Bear’s Den Lodge: An Inspiration to Live a Dream

Bear’s Den Lodge, a number one tourism full-service business in the French River, Municipality of Killarney area, has gone through a major transformation over the past 35 years. Since 1986, the daily operations and maintenance at the lodge located along Highway 69 now 400 North in Alban, Ontario have been managed by owners Art and …

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Five Casts & A Lifetime of Memories

Life is a journey that can be full of challenges and unexpected surprises hiding behind even the most simple rock structures. For Chris and his son Austin, they visited the lower French River Delta for just a day out fishing the same as when Chris remembered growing up fishing with his father.   My Experience Fishing …

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Musky Historical Report of the French River 1961 – 1994

Guess what we found? As we were cleaning out our old files we stumbled upon this old report. We thought we should share these significant historical records supplied by Bear’s Den Lodge and compiled by Biologist George E. Moran of the French River Cooperative Fisheries Unit. This data includes musky historical records from 1961 – …

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Fall Fishing: French River Musky

One of the best times to fish for French River Musky is in the fall season (from late-August to October). The cooler autumn days change a Musky’s behaviour. They go from territorial couch potatoes snatching up easy prey to nomadic hunters as they move from structure to structure with the shortening daylight cycle. Musky Fall …

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